May / June, 2001
By: Truman Surbrook and Keith Tinsey

New 2002 National Electrical Code Update and Training

Michigan is presently operating under the 1999 NEC. The 2002 edition of the NEC will be out this September. It will probably go into effect in late 2002. The new code changes will impact the way agricultural operations expand or change their facilities and install equipment. Electricians will be interested in getting an overview of what will change in the NEC. The changes are extensive. Code dimensions are in metric with English units in parentheses. That may sound simple, but the numbers don't always match. In one case the difference is 18 inches between using the metric or the English unit for the same requirement due to rounding in the conversion. We have a short update training program ready to go and it will deal with issues like metric conversions. Another big problem for electricians is the massive renumbering and rearranging of articles in the NEC.

The agricultural article has changed and there is going to be a clash between the NEC and utility electrical service requirements. When a center distribution point is used on a farm, there is required to be a disconnect at that location. There is now a definite requirement for sizing that disconnect. Also, the neutral must be grounded at the center distribution point.

There is a new requirement for equipotential planes in livestock confinement facilities. If livestock are exposed to metal equipment likely to become energized, an equipotential plane is required to be installed below the livestock area whether the area is concrete or dirt. If it is a dirt lot, then the equipotential plane can be eliminated if the equipment is ground-fault circuit interrupter protected.

General-use receptacles supplied by 125 volt, 15 or 20 ampere circuits and installed in areas of agricultural buildings with an equipotential plane are required to be ground-fault circuit-interrupter protected for personnel. This was the requirement in the 1999 NEC also, but the 2002 NEC will extend this requirement to general-use receptacles installed outdoors and located in wet areas.

Michigan Public Act 230 exempts most farms from electrical inspection, which also means a licensed electrical contractor is not required to install wiring on farms. Farmers and electricians need to be made aware of these requirements. MAEC plans to publish a brochure on agricultural wiring requirements later this year. If there is any concern that these requirements may not be warranted, then there is time to start action with the Bureau of Construction Codes to modify the rules before the 2002 Code is adopted in Michigan.

pdf file on 2002 NEC Update and Training

Keith Tinsey
Department of Agricultural Engineering
103 C Farrall Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824-1323
(517)353-0643 fax (517)432-1563
tinsey@msu.edu

Agricultural Engineering
Michigan State University
A.W. Farrall Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1323
(517) 355-4720

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May 24, 2001